Delhi govt moves SC to withdraw cases filed during AAP rule challenging L-G's authority

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Thursday moved the Supreme Court seeking to withdraw seven cases filed during the previous AAP regime challenging the authority of the lieutenant governor in several bodies, including one connected to Yamuna cleaning efforts.

A bench of justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh directed to list the application filed by the BJP-led Delhi government for Friday.

Appearing for Delhi government, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati said the application seeks the withdrawal of seven cases pending in the top court, which challenged the authority of the lieutenant governor (L-G) in several committees, including solid waste management, Yamuna cleaning, and against the validity of Acts and ordinances.

"These matters should not trouble this court anymore," Bhati said.

Justice Surya Kant told Bhati, "We will list all these cases for Friday and take up the application."

In one of the cases filed by the then-AAP government, the top court in July 2023 stayed a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order asking the L-G to head a high-level committee constituted to deal with issues concerning the rejuvenation of the Yamuna river.

It agreed to hear the Delhi government's plea against a January 19, 2023, order of the NGT and issued a notice to the petitioner on whose application the tribunal passed the order.

The NGT constituted the high-level committee of authorities concerned in Delhi, where pollution of Yamuna was higher (about 75 per cent) when compared to the other river basin states.

"We request the lieutenant governor of Delhi, who is the chairman of DDA and the administrator of Delhi under Article 239 of the Constitution, to head the committee," the NGT said.